Selenophobia
by P.A.W.07
Summary: Ranger Ty Parsec refused to be rescued again… even from a part of himself, the wirewolf. Now, years later, he fights a battle he can never win against his inner terrible monster. The most he can ever hope for is a moment of contentment. AUish. One-shot.


Selenophobia: Ranger Ty refused to be rescued again… even from a part of himself, the wirewolf. Now, years later, he fights a battle he can never win against his inner terrible monster. The most he can ever hope for is a moment of contentment. AU-ish.

Rating: Teen

Disclaimer: If only, if only, the plot bunny sings.

XXX

Security.

It is one of the basic needs for social stability and that as what the Global Alliance had instated with the creation of Star Command. It was supposed to rescue the citizens from the clutches of madman and monsters alike be that villain a certain purple nefarious cretin or a giant slug-worm meant to eat ships whole.

That was fine and dandy to most people in the galaxy, glad that their little babies could sleep in their beds without the lingering terror that there was something worse in the world than the boogeyman under their bed. So, for all beings who weren't like slugs crawling around in the underworld's belly like a parasite that needed to be removed, there was a deep peace.

Happiness lined with a little green and white. The Space Ranger's battled not only evil, but fear itself.

Most people's fear at least. For Ty Parsec, that fear just exploded tenfold due to the fact that the Space Rangers were so skilled in their development of security against villains and monsters alike. True, he was a Space Ranger. An upholder of this peace… but he was also a monster. A monster he had never let anyway see.

He refused to be rescued, not again by Buzz.

And the monster had reared its ugly head in a disastrous way…

Luckily, in Ty's mind at least, a robot was less likely to be missed than a conscious being when they were ripped to shreds. There was one moment though, when he had first been given his dark curse by the machine Nos-4-R2 and his single bite, when Ty's inner monster had almost been witnessed and revealed. It was during his first week as the beast, Buzz Lightyear and his team were in his territory trying to help him out with his… creator. Luckily, Buzz and the crew were led to believe that Ty's first kills were in fact Nos-4-R2's actions.

And that was when the lies started in his descent into monster-ism. Parsec had pressed that there was news about his creator's present location: a nearby space station. He had done it because he would not be save… not again.

Buzz had frowned at the news, probably noting how Ty's form seemed to shake as he lied through his teeth. The man always had a sixth sense about people lying. Nonetheless, Lightyear had patted his old _friend_ on the back and stated he'd be saving him soon… no, seeing him soon. He then laughed and turned to leave only to stall. Buzz turned his head and proclaimed with his heroes' grin, "If you ever need to be saved, just give me a call. I'm not just Buzz Lightyear the Space Ranger, but I'm also your friend."

It had felt like a stab at his pride, a mocking expression of superiority… so Ty never took up on that offer even after he had figured out what had been happening during the blackouts. He never called for help after the next few kills, not even after the staff became so spooked that the planet was nearly abandoned by all but a few dedicated souls. In fact, the few that were left actually gave him an ultimatum to either find whoever was threatening the base or they would call Star Command personally.

Parsec already knew by then, but he investigated nonetheless, if not for the remaining scientist but for him. It was just that the blackouts and robot mutilation were far to coinciding. He went so far as to even tape himself and to his horror saw the thing that was him when the moonlight touched his flesh. So he sat there, alone and afraid in his room in front of his computer consul watching as wires erupted from under his flesh, bones cracking and turning metallic. His mind then lost to ravenous madness. He had wept at the realization: he had been stained by the very thing he fought to destroy.

It was true what they said: if you didn't die a hero, you lived long enough to become the villain.

He cursed Buzz that night. He cursed the very darkness, and the moon that loomed above it. He put in a request for a transfer that day, a place without a moon, a place where Buzz nor anyone else would find him. Especially since Buzz was apparently coming to clean up the mess. Ty was gone an hour before Buzz's heel even touched Canis Lunis's surface, taking up the first station that would accept him.

He knew he should have stayed, begged for help from Buzz, but he had to salvage what little pride he had left after Buzz had inadvertently stepped on it in order to claim what was dubbed a noble victory… fifty-one times. He couldn't take the fifty-second saving. Ty already knew he was a laughing stock because of all the rescues, and the only reason he was probably still a Ranger at all was because he decided to take up stations in locations that most people couldn't even find for that matter live on.

Such as his trials after leaving that cursed moon...

He had tried to get on Amazonian 6 and an unpleasant planet called Poveglia which was trying to study disembodied consciousness… or ghosts if you wanted to be straight forward about it. Ty hadn't cared for either horrid station, not because one really needed him to be an exorcist and the other wanted him to lose a 'Y' chromosome, but because he couldn't hide his kills on either planet for it seemed his curse had mutated. The beast denied him freedom and the only planets without some kinds of moon with open Ranger stations were heavily populated.

He couldn't risk the curse mutating again in a heavily populated area.

He'd be shot before he could even turn back into his human form; if he could, that is, without a moon to regulate his changes. So Parsec surrendered himself to a station with a collection of nut ball scientists that reminded him of the Buzz's famed girlfriend: Dr. Ozma Furbanna. The planet they were stationed on had wildlife that evolved at an uncannily fast pace allowing scientists to divulge deeper into the theory of evolution.

Parsec… really didn't care. The planet just offered him the one thing he needed, the ability to calm his darkness with a fulfilling kill which no one would notice.

After all, in a chaotic world like Viridis, no one was going to notice a mutilated beast or even a living robotic-like one. Stuff like that just happened on Viridis. Everyone accepted it though didn't fear it now days because their loyal Space Ranger, Ty Parsec, always seemed to keep them safe… as long as they weren't robots that is.

Robots were already a rare thing on the stick and organic infested planet, but it now seemed that even a spare droid wouldn't last a week since Parsec joined them. So the scientists mostly gave up on robotic help. In fact, it seemed so safe around the base that some of the scientists joked that almost all of the animals stayed away from headquarters because they were scared of Ty… even though space leaches looked far more frightening than him with how pale he always seemed to be.

Ty always forced a grin at said joke, knowing all too well… that it was true. Though his curse at least carried a predictable schedule nowadays, turning only when the full moon was around, his body was almost worn ragged because he had undergone so many changes in his self proclaimed exile while on Viridis. His wirewolf form had gotten bulkier (if the footprints he found were any indication) and far stealthier, a true predator, and all the animals smelled it. In fact, he couldn't even get near the beasts of the planet in his normal form without spooking them. The wildlife knew he was a thing that belonged in the dark… a monster.

To the naturalists, zoologists, and botanists that studied the local plant and wildlife, he was a godsend. He was always good to have around when someone, theoretically, got chased up into a tree by some huge, hungry beast. Such as what was happening to the new botanists that had made the mistake of thinking that the mossy body was a plant and not a cleverly camouflaged four-eyed, green tongued riskquer. Mean little banshees, though Ty didn't think so as he watched the wart-hog looking thing squeal at his entrance and run away, the two newly graduated youths looking down at him with relieved sighs.

"Dude, thanks," said the male reptile-like humanoid up in the tree who was strategically higher in the seemingly glowing branches of the tree; the trees having absorbed the last rays of blue sunlight from the near-by blue dwarf star. It was dazzling that a planet could even form around something that wasn't even considered a true star, so small and fading, becoming a black dwarf. Probably why all the trees and most of the wildlife contained bioluminescence, sucking up and holding what radiation they could from the dying false-star.

Nonetheless, the light was comforting, especially at night. Not only did it make the moon's light seem less frightening, it also promised that the metal beast inside him with its blue and silver surface would blend in easily. This place offered a haven… and despite the slight insanity all twenty-four scientists radiated, he was content though he doubted he'd ever be happy.

Monsters never have happy endings...

Shaking such thoughts off his shoulders, Ty who now had a few wrinkles and grey hair due to the stress and worry, smiled nonetheless as he looked over the scene with tired eyes.

"What are you two idiots doing out here so late?" groaned Parsec as he forced a grin, more entertained then irritated. "Didn't the older science tweeks tell you that dusk was the most dangerous time for animals to come out? You need to be on the planet longer than two weeks to even consider studying those beasts."

The two humanoid scientists both grinned sheepishly, the green girl blushing purple as the young male rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment as he spoke up for both of them, "Sorry, Ranger Parsec. We just wanted to get out of the labs and get on the field. We're dying in that base's walls."

Ty, whose sense of humor had grown while being away from Buzz's constant chidings about being saved, tried to make a joke, "Well, dying you'd be doing outside of the base's walls as well if you come out here unprepared and unscheduled. Come on, let's go. Before something bigger finds us."

With a groan, the two understudies started following after. It wasn't that they were worried about a reprisal; Ty was a wiry guy who almost seemed impartial to playing the part of a Space Ranger regulatory when it came to punishments on any of the members of the base. He was a stickler for schedules though. He barely ever showed a flavor of rage except when a person broke the schedule. Didn't matter if you were one of the scientists that had been ageing on the planet long before the Ranger came, you kept to the schedule…

… Especially the nights surrounding the schedule of the full moon which was in a few days. The days were long, about thirty-eight hours, but the days before the full moon came to shine over them, the hours felt shorter as the days grew ridged and stoic. This didn't happen because nights with the full moon were horrid but because Ty's personality would always take a turn for the worst. He became twitchy, quick tongued and started to live up to the title of ruler-stickler.

He told everyone his personality worsened because the really dangerous predators would become far more enraged and dangerous on such nights. And that was partially true, but everyone thought it was because he was afraid of the creature that wandered those nights. No one had ever gotten a good look at it, didn't even know the creature's true color, but there were always footprints to be found and if you managed to be late in getting back to the base or were feeling rebellious you could hear it howling to the moon.

And if you were really lucky, or unlucky if Ty found out, one could see a glint in the darkness amongst the glowing trees.

Many of the scientists wanted to go searching for it the days after, footprints about and kill sights to be found, but Ty was always strict stating there were no such things as monsters and to go back to their real studies. As far as he was concerned… it didn't exist. He didn't even have the time of day to mention it in his reports.

And many of the scientists calmly accepted it, not wanting to see one of Ty's rare shows of rage, obeying his only true commandment: no one goes out during the full moon. Not that the two young students knew that.

"Oh come on, we wanted to see if the rumors were true," stated Roy Rex, has he scratched his scaly like neck. "You know, the moon beast."

Ty physically went stiff at this, a nervousness in his bones. Usually, he would then wave such proclamations off as nothing and tell the rule breaker to follow. This time though, he was sure his silence was enough as his face morphed into one of angry as he turned to leave without a word.

The two beings were still at first, the strange behavior of their sarcastic Ranger very noticeable. Finally, Fern Bubwillow shook her head and started following after the now noticeably angry Ranger. Roy sighed nonetheless and followed after deciding that that didn't mean he had to stop talking.

"So, you've seen it, right?" asked the scaling boy, picking up his pace to be right next to Ty. The Ranger wouldn't be angry about nothing… so he must no something though he denied the creatures existence even on a good day.

Ty went stiff and turned his head, stalling, asking in almost a choked voice, "What do you mean?"

Roy continued, a little bolder once seeing the man stirred up, "Well, that's why you don't like anyone else out, right? And why you have late night patrols on those days?"

There was silent for a long moment before Ty felt the darkness stir in him. The moon was getting near and before he could do his usual full blown denial, he discovered his want to tell the truth for once, given that he was a symbol meant to uphold the truth. He had let the beast win for a long time; it was time the wirewolf inside lost a battle. Soon, his tongue moved of its own accord and the before the wiry Space Ranger could stop himself, his words rang true, "I've seen what it's done which alone makes it a monster to be ignored. And it doesn't matter if I've seen it or not, so don't ask. As far as I'm concerned… it doesn't exist. Now, let's get going. Its getting dark."

Turning his green and white winged uniformed back to his two almost-happy meals, Ty tried to press off the enstranged comment as if it was nothing and started walking back to the base with no more to be said. As far as he was concerned, the less anyone knew about his other half –the wirewolf- the greater the likeably he could continue forever in this contentment.

But… would being content be good enough to live the rest of his days. Especially if the visit from Buzz that he had been pressing off for the past three years would come to pass. He could lie as much as he wanted to himself and the scientist, but not Buzz. He just knew when something was wrong, and there was no doubt in his mind that Buzz knew, all those years ago one that world with its green moon… that he had been lying.

That he was still lying. Words were hiding under his skin… just like a beast of metal.

Shaking off such depressing thoughts, Ty decided contentment was good enough as long as he could live free. He's just call old Buzz with friendly banter and that would press off any real need for a visit… or so he hoped.

Com. link suddenly ringing to life, the Space Ranger immediately hit the button on his wrist trying not to growl. It was the full moon tomorrow, why was everyone brothering him. He just wanted to transform in peace!

"What! Someone better be mauled. I just spent the last two hours looking for these two trouble makers."

"Wooh, there buddy. No need to be grumpy, Buzz Lightyear is here to save the day," chuckled the usually jubilant Ranger on the other side of the link.

Ty immediately froze, his world of falsehood suddenly crashing down on him. It seemed that contentment wasn't good enough. His voice squeaked, "What! When? Now?"

"Well… not now. You aren't at the base yet, but in a few minutes you will be, I'm sure," added Buzz, the smile easily heard on his voice alone, glad to see his old friend that had all but dropped off the map for the past few years. "I had a mission nearby that was finished with ease and when I called in I heard about this… beast of yours from the scientist that answered. Came to see if you needed some saving… I mean a hand."

It took all he had not to fall to knees and weep, his voice struggling not to shake, "T-that's just an old legend around here. It's probably just a mean logg-no. Nothing to worry about."

There was silence on the other line and Buzz's voice carried a soft tone, almost whispering, "I'm sure it isn't… on a world as wild as this, but that's not why I'm really here. What's wrong… the real reason I'm here is…"

Anyone listening would be able to tell Buzz was struggling, but finally the usually confidant man stated, "Ty, I know you hate the whole saving joke, but I'm your friend and if I didn't save you when you needed it… what kind of friend would that make me? I know something's wrong Ty. I can tell by reading your reports alone. Something's been wrong for a long time. I told you I would save you if you ever needed to be, and that's a promise I want to keep. Please, swallow your pride, let me help you old friend."

It was touching, strangely considerate for a pompous character like Buzz, loyal… and just a little mushy. Anyone would call that a good friend. Ty wished he had been smart enough to pick a bad one when he was at the academy.

Chuckling at the irony like a man before the gallows, his last joke never to be told, Ty stated, "I don't know if you can Buzz. I don't know if anyone can."

Sometimes it was best just to let wirewolves lie.

XXX

Paw07: I recently wanted to recollect some nostalgia so I rewatched one of my favorite episodes, Wirewolf, because unlike the present craze of vampires I have a soft spot for werewolves. My reason being that no one ever wants to be a werewolf yet becoming a vampire is almost a romance genre now. Bah, it seems that horror is getting its name smeared. Regardless, the werewolf is always an interesting character, the classic ones that has little to no control. That's why I loved wirewolf. I mean we see what happens in the short run for werewolves all the time, but what about if someone wanted to try and live a normal life? Well, I decided to dissect that with one of my favorite Buzz Lightyear of Star Command characters: Ty Parsec. He's the most human of all the Rangers, flawed, inperfect, and bitter. But I digress, this is a one-shot for now because the next few chapters I had got lost when my computer crashed so enjoy and I'll see if I can ever get back to this.


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